1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, which can apply processing solution or post-processing solution appropriately on an image recording material such as a photosensitive material so as to form an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when a color film or a color printed original is copied to an image recording material, for example, a photosensitive material such as a silver halide photographic photosensitive material, each of processings including exposing, developing, bleach-fixing, rinsing and drying are sequentially performed.
When the developing, bleach-fixing and rinsing are performed, the developing solution, bleaching solution and rinsing water are applied on the photosensitive material by xe2x80x9cdippingxe2x80x9d the photosensitive material sequentially into each of the developing solution, bleaching solution and rinsing water, which are processing solutions stored in a developing tank, a bleach-fixing tank and a rinsing tank, respectively.
When the dipping method is carried out in this manner, i.e., the processing solution is applied by immersing the photosensitive material into the tank filled with the processing solution, the processing solution is applied on the entire two surfaces of the photosensitive material. Since the processing solution is applied to a reverse surface of the photosensitive material, which surface does not have a photographic structuring layer formed thereon, the processing solution is used wastefully and inefficiently. Accordingly, a large amount of the processing solution is needed. Further, when the image forming apparatus is structured to dip the photosensitive material into the processing solution stored in the tank, spent processing solution, which has been used to process the photosensitive material and in which chemical changes have been thereby caused, is mixed in the processing solution stored in the next processing tank. Further, the area that the processing solution is in contact with the air is large. Thus, primary components of the processing solution deteriorate, hardening of the processing solution is advanced, and the use-life of the processing solution is shortened. As a result, the amount of spent waste solution is correspondingly increased. Accordingly, there is a problem because a large amount of the spent waste solution of the processing solution must be disposed.
In view of the aforementioned circumstances, execution of each processing by applying a small amount of processing solution or post-processing solution is made possible. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce the amount of waste solution to be processed.
A first aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus comprising: processing solution applying means for applying alkaline processing solution including hydrogen peroxide, which alkaline processing solution is substantially devoid of developing agents, to substantially only a photographic structuring layer side of an exposed silver halide photographic photosensitive material, the silver halide photographic photosensitive material having a support and at least one photographic structuring layer formed on the support, which photographic structuring layer comprises a dye-forming coupler and a reducing agent.
A second aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus comprising: processing solution applying means for applying alkaline processing solution, which is substantially devoid of developing agents, to substantially only a photographic structuring layer side of an exposed silver halide photographic photosensitive material, the silver halide photographic photosensitive material having a support and at least one photographic structuring layer formed on the support, which photographic structuring layer comprises a dye-forming coupler and a reducing agent.
A third aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus comprising: processing solution applying means for applying solution including hydrogen peroxide to substantially only a photographic structuring layer side of an exposed silver halide photographic photosensitive material, the silver halide photographic photosensitive material having a support and at least one photographic structuring layer formed on the support, which photographic structuring layer comprises a dye-forming coupler and a reducing agent.
Being structured in the above-described manner, the processing solution applying means performs development-intensification processing by applying the processing solution only on the photographic structuring layer side of the silver halide photographic photo sensitive material.
As a result, a required small amount of the processing solution is applied, and the applied processing solution is used up and disposed of each time. Accordingly, waste solution which has been used many times and has deteriorated is not generated. Thus, disposal of waste solution is not necessary.
Further, as waste solution is not generated as described above, the amount of the processing solution can be reduced correspondingly, with the result that a large amount of the processing solution is not needed. Therefore, this apparatus is easily maintained and can perform stable developing processing.
Further, the entire image forming apparatus can be structured compactly.